The face of Count Magren, who had been almost in a daze, gradually turned to shock, and he pointed at Aris.

“Wh-wh-what is this behavior! Lady Eldeiz!”

“Ah! I’m sorry. The horse’s condition seemed strange…”

Aris gave an answer pretending to be perplexed. The Count’s face contorted horribly.

“Why were you riding this horse in the first place? Where did the jockey go!”

Since others seemed curious about this too, the noisy stadium suddenly became quiet. Aris willingly opened her mouth.

“I happened to meet player number 13, but for some reason, this horse refused the jockey and kept clinging to me. So I had no choice but to substitute as the jockey.”

“What…”

“But… as I said earlier, the horse’s condition seemed strange. It kept getting excited and acting up, isn’t this horse number 13 owned by you, Count?”

The evidence to support Aris’s claim that ‘the horse’s condition was strange’ was already sufficient from the earlier race. While the jockey couldn’t even maintain posture due to the horse’s speed, the horse had been running at an impossible speed from the start, overtaking professionals and leading the pack.

The onlookers murmured. The Count shouted angrily.

“Wh-what’s strange about it! It’s all due to your lack of skill! Even from afar, I could see there were many problems with your horse handling. Don’t slander me!”

Count Magren even snorted as if dumbfounded. Then he began to explain in detail what was wrong with Aris’s horsemanship and why it would inevitably excite the horse.

Aris was the one who was dumbfounded, but she had no chance to interrupt Count Magren’s words. The sight of him turning red-faced and speaking so vehemently to save himself was quite shameless.

“So, not only did you participate in the race without prior notice, but you also ruined this competition! And now you’re trying to turn the tables, my goodness. I’m truly disappointed in Marquis Eldeiz for educating his daughter like this…”

“Who’s really turning the tables here?”

A familiar voice interrupted the Count’s words. A voice like a chilly winter wind that made Aris tense up involuntarily.

Come to think of it, someone who had been sitting behind Count Magren, the host, was missing. Aris swallowed nervously and turned her head. At the same time, Count Magren adopted a respectful posture and exclaimed.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince! I was just about to report on the current situation…”

“Yes, I’ve seen well the situation where the Count doesn’t admit his guilt and tries to blame an innocent person.”

Kalaian said with a smile devoid of warmth. Seeing that ceremonial smile, Aris involuntarily clenched her hands.

The Count’s eyes widened exaggeratedly, bewildered, then clasped his hands together and said.

“Not admitting guilt? I really have no guilt, why are you saying this…! If you’re taking Lady Eldeiz’s side because there’s talk of marriage between you two, I, your humble servant, am appalled!”

The nobles gaped in shock at Count Magren’s statement. Unless one was truly wronged, how could one have the guts to speak like that?

Aris glared at the Count with her lips tightly sealed. He was truly a wicked person. When she was about to open her mouth to gain the right to speak,

Kalaian gestured to a knight behind him. The knights dragged someone and presented them in front of the Count.

“You should know this person.”

The Count silently panicked. The person dragged by the knights’ hands was the original jockey number 13. Kalaian frowned his straight eyebrows and let out a short laugh.

“To try to deceive me by taking me for a fool. You’re truly remarkable in many ways, Count. I’m impressed.”

Aris stared wide-eyed at the kneeling jockey number 13.

The fact that Kalaian had brought him meant that he knew the inside story of this incident. If so, how on earth did he notice?

Slightly tilting his head, he looked down at the Count with his towering physique.

“If I hadn’t brought a witness, I would have been a dimwit with clouded judgment.”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant…”

“I’m not finished speaking yet. I didn’t give you permission to speak, yet you dare to interrupt me. Not content with insulting the imperial family, you even try to make light of me. Well, should I have you arrested right now?”

The pale Count shut his mouth. Kalaian sent him a cold sneer and then ordered jockey number 13 to explain the situation.

Without hesitation at the Crown Prince’s command, he revealed the situation he was in, Count Magren’s threats to use the ‘black drug’, the bribery of the judge, and other facts.

Moreover, when the facts of the match-fixing that Aris didn’t know about were revealed, the nobles present began to get furiously angry.

While there might be people who enjoy betting as a refined hobby, you won’t find anyone who wouldn’t be angry to learn that they had been losing money due to match-fixing all along.

Watching the situation where fierce criticism was exchanged in an instant, Aris was at a loss for words. Her hands trembled.

While attention was focused on jockey number 13, Kalaian approached Aris.

“We meet again, Lady Eldeiz.”

He extended his hand to her, who was still on horseback. Although it was fine because the knights were firmly blocking the horse’s movement, the still excited horse might cause some disturbance.

Aris stared blankly at that hand, then shifted her gaze to look at Kalaian. When their eyes met, he said with a smile,

“It’s dangerous, please get down.”

Aris hesitantly reached out her hand. Except for the fact that she was the one on horseback, his appearance was just like a prince on a white horse from a fairy tale.

As soon as Aris got off the horse with Kalaian’s help, she let go of his hand. Her heart was beating so fast that she felt confused.

‘Don’t act foolishly, Aristena…’

After trying to calm her heart, she barely managed to express her gratitude.

“Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I don’t know how to express my gratitude for your help… I will never forget this kindness.”

Aris bowed her head in greeting and then looked at him. They exchanged glances, but his eyes were hazy as if he was in a dream.

After a moment, Kalaian smiled, pulling at his tightly closed lips. With a smile that somehow conveyed relief, he spoke while slightly averting his gaze.

“There’s no need to express such gratitude. The ‘black drug’ used by the Count was something His Majesty was investigating to designate as illegal, so it was only natural for me to do this.”

The area grew cold at Kalaian’s words. He turned his steps again and looked at Count Magren, who had long since lost all color in his face.

“Do you have anything more to say, Count Magren?”

“I, I don’t know anything about such a drug…!”

“Ah. By the way, if you try to deceive me one more time, I plan to execute you on the spot for the crime of insulting the imperial family. So, what were you going to say?”

Kalaian showed his usual ceremonial smile brightly. Count Magren’s foolish excuses could no longer continue. He moved his lips for a while before admitting his guilt with a pale face.

“Sister!”

Aion appeared as the situation settled, pushing through the crowd. He hurriedly checked Aris’s condition, and only after confirming that she was fine did he let out a sigh.

Eventually, he glared at Aris with reproachful eyes. Knowing what kind of nagging Aion would unleash, she just smiled awkwardly.

“It doesn’t seem like the race will continue, so let’s go back. Father told me to bring you.”

Aion shot a terrifying glance at Count Magren and then pulled Aris’s arm.

“Okay, I understand…”

Aris obediently replied. Having disappeared without a word and participated in the horse race on her own, not to mention causing a commotion, she couldn’t act recklessly anymore.

As Aris started to follow Aion quietly, before leaving, her eyes briefly met Kalaian’s. He stopped intimidating Count Magren and looked at her.

Aris hesitated before bowing her head lightly in greeting. In such a chaotic situation, there was no time to give him a long greeting. Fortunately, he also bowed his head lightly in return.

Aris quickly averted her gaze. He must have turned his head too, as the Count’s earnest apologies became louder.

‘…Well done, Aristena. Just keep this distance without any lingering feelings.’

In this life, he and I are strangers after all.

The place Aris followed Aion to is where the Eldeiz marquis family’s carriage was. While Aion was bringing her, Bendere had already boarded the carriage and was waiting.

Aris boarded the carriage with a somewhat vague feeling, knowing the impending consequences were as clear as day.

“You’re finally here, Aristena Eldeiz.”

As soon as her bottom touched the seat, the marquis spoke in an unsightly voice. Aris managed to open her mouth in the heavy atmosphere.

“Yes, Father.”

The marquis let out an irritable sigh.

“I’ve told you time and time again. Don’t do stupid things. Are you incapable of understanding words?”

“……”

“Are you deaf! I’m asking you!”

Aris felt hurt by his stern voice. Although she had acted somewhat bewilderingly, Aris had never done anything to disgrace the family.

The marquis raised his voice again.

“With your poor horseback riding skills, what made you think you could participate in a race? You almost brought gossip to our family!”

Aris had a lot she wanted to say. But she had to hold back.

‘I can’t say that it was something I couldn’t help but do to save Aion, and thanks to my intervention, Aion wasn’t hurt…’

Instead, Aris turned her head abruptly, letting his words go in one ear and out the other. And feeling upset, she even crossed her arms rebelliously, abandoning all decorum.